I would like to echo Doug's sentiments here... BTW, beautifully put,
Doug.... :-)
One of my most profound experiences of I-Thou occurred between myself and an
8 yr old boy with autism.
I didn't know it then but I was being with him in a very OS and
unconventional way... For those who may not be aware, a predominant result
of autism is the inability to make meaningful connection (even eye contact)
with others - very I-It oriented. Usual approaches to support were about
behaviour management - uh!!!
The approach I was taking was to accept whatever the child did, or did not
do - to the point of actually joining them in that place (ex. rocking with
them, rather than trying to stop them).
After several months of opening myself up enough to enter into his world as
completely as possible, one day he just reached out and touched me and then
looked into my eyes and it was electric.
I still get misty at the memory because it felt so pure - he came out and
really saw/touched me and, for the first time, I saw into him.
Why tell this story? Because I have always felt that it was his ability to
retreat so completely that made his contact so brilliant....
In summary, I offer these points for reflection:
~ from Wholism - there is no I-Thou without I-It :-)
~ from things Integral - accepting all aspects of that whole (because isn't
being unconditionally accepting necessarily accepting of not being
accepting? haha!)
~ in terms of Transcendence - including all seems to allow transcendence to
emerge (ie. how can we open the space / hold the space enough to come to a
state of 'Yes, and...' or 'Both/and' rather than 'either/or'?)
It all brings to mind the words of one of my most beloveds - Rumi:
"Out beyond ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing
There is a field
I will meet you there
When the soul lies down in that grass
The world is too full to talk about."
With a full heart,
Glory
----- Original Message -----
From: "Douglas D. Germann, Sr." <76066....@compuserve.com>
To: <osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 8:43 PM
Subject: Keepin' Busy
Paul--
Thanks for your thoughtful response.
<< I don't want my
<< children taught ID, which I regard as a abomination and total
stupidity,
<< nor
Not sure I know what ID is. Besides, I thought I was talking to that
distinguished looking grey-bearded gentleman whose children are probably
all grown, and who would probably be talking about grandchildren by now.
Must have the wrong guy in mind.... <wink>
<< unconditional love and acceptance on all parts of those there. I've
<< never seen it sustained. Never experienced it on a sustained basis
<< despite having had some fairly incredible numinous experiences of that
<< state of being, temporarily.
Surprisingly, Buber takes the position that it is not possible to sustain
life and live in this place (which he calls I-Thou). He says I-It is
absolutely necessary and that we need to live moving back and forth
between
both places. I am sure I do not fully understand him on this, nor life
itself, but it seems to be true.
So take heart, friend: the numinous experiences may of necessity just have
to be passing. But they lift us to see that they are possible, and when we
go back to I-It, we do so with a longing and looking for I-Thou, equipped
to perhaps find it a little faster next time, a little more surely, or to
help another do so.
Perhaps we are the ones history has been waiting for?
:-Doug.
What wants to happen in your communities?
*
*
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